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AfterCWS Roof Repair in Fort Lauderdale: What to Know First
Independent CWS roof repair in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $350 to $1,800 depending on whether we’re sealing a seam, replacing flashing, or rebuilding a curb mount. Most CWS repairs we handle are completed in a single visit, and we quote the job before any work begins, so the number you hear is the number you pay. If you own a CWS skylight, roof window, or curb-mounted unit and you’re seeing water where it doesn’t belong, call (904) 913-5886 and Ed Winslow’s crew will give it to you straight.
If you live anywhere from Rio Vista to Coral Ridge to Victoria Park and your CWS unit has started leaking, staining drywall, or letting daylight through where it shouldn’t, this page is for you. We’re Winslow Windows & Doors, an independent CWS service provider, and we’ve been repairing roof openings in Broward County homes long enough to know exactly where these units fail first.
Key Takeaways
- We repair CWS skylights and roof windows as an independent provider - not a CWS-authorized dealer.
- Most Fort Lauderdale CWS repairs are done in one visit; pricing is fixed before we start.
- Salt air, afternoon downpours, and hurricane season all accelerate specific CWS failure points we’ll name below.
- Free estimates. $40 off any repair over $200. Senior and veteran discounts always apply.
How CWS Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
CWS builds solid units, but every brand has its weak points, and in Fort Lauderdale those weak points get found faster than anywhere else in the state. Here’s what we actually see on CWS jobs in this city:
- CWS wood curb rot at the flashing line. This is the big one. On older CWS curb-mounted units, the wood curb the skylight sits on wicks water at the flashing seam, especially on flat or low-slope roofs common in Fort Lauderdale. By the time you see a ceiling stain, the curb is usually soft. We cut out the rotted section, rebuild the curb with pressure-treated lumber, and reflash with proper step flashing. Caulking over rot is what gets you a second leak six months later; we don’t do that.
- Failed glazing gasket on CWS fixed units. CWS fixed skylights depend on a rubber gasket to keep water out of the glass channel. After ten-plus years of South Florida UV and salt exposure, that gasket hardens and shrinks. You’ll see water pooling in the track and dripping inside during heavy storms. The fix is a full gasket replacement, not silicone. Silicone on a shrinking gasket buys you weeks, not years.
- Condensation between panes on CWS venting models. If your CWS venting skylight fogs between the glass, the insulated glazing unit’s seal has failed. In Fort Lauderdale’s humidity, this happens faster than most homeowners expect. We order a replacement glazing unit sized to the CWS frame and swap it in-house. The frame stays; the glass is what gets replaced.
- Operator and hinge fatigue on CWS venting skylights. The crank and hinge mechanisms on venting units see a lot of action in Florida because we open our homes to cross-breeze eight months out of the year. When the operator fails, the unit either won’t close tightly or won’t open at all, and a stuck-open skylight in a summer storm is a fast way to ruin a ceiling. We replace operators and hinges with quality aftermarket parts that match the CWS frame’s geometry. The original CWS mechanism wasn’t designed with daily use in a salt-air climate in mind.
- Improper original flashing at the roof deck. We see a surprising number of CWS units that were installed by roofers who didn’t understand the curb-flashing sequence, especially on tile roofs in neighborhoods like Shady Banks or Sailboat Bend. Water travels under the tile, hits an incorrectly lapped flashing joint, and follows the curb into the attic. We reflash correctly, layering flashing so water always sheds away from the opening. This is repair work, but it’s also correcting somebody else’s mistake from day one.
Our CWS Roof Repair Process
When you call us about a CWS leak, here’s exactly what happens:
- 1
We answer the phone. A live person, any hour, day or night. You describe what you’re seeing. We schedule a visit.
- 2
We inspect, and we’re honest about what we find. We start inside at the water stain and trace it to the source. Sometimes the CWS unit itself is fine and the problem is a roof flashing seam six feet uphill from it. If your CWS unit isn’t the leak, we tell you that. We don’t sell repairs a roof doesn’t need.
- 3
We give you a fixed number, not an estimate range. Before any work starts, you know exactly what the repair costs. No change orders. No “while we’re in there” add-ons unless you approve them first.
- 4
We decide on parts: OEM or quality aftermarket. If your CWS unit is still under manufacturer warranty, we’ll help you understand what CWS will and won’t cover and whether sourcing OEM parts through them costs you less. When OEM parts are months out or the warranty has expired, we use quality aftermarket components that match spec. You get the tradeoff explained in plain English so you decide with information, not fear.
- 5
We repair and test. After the fix, we water-test the opening with a controlled hose spray at the repair point. If it holds, we head out. If it doesn’t, we’re not done. Ed’s signature phrase applies here: my name’s on the door, literally, which means it gets done right.
- 6
We clean up and back the work. Job site is left broom-clean. Every repair carries our 36500-Day Done Right Promise. If it’s not done right, we make it right.
What CWS Roof Repair Costs in Fort Lauderdale
Here are real numbers from jobs we’ve done across Fort Lauderdale, from Imperial Point to Tarpon River:
- Seam reseal or small flashing repair: $350 - $650
- Glazing gasket replacement on a fixed CWS unit: $400 - $750
- Curbed wood replacement and reflashing: $750 - $1,500 depending on curb size and roof type
- Replacement glazing unit (fogged glass) on CWS venting skylight: $600 - $1,200
- Operator or hinge replacement on a venting unit: $250 - $500
What moves the number: whether your roof is tile or shingle, how steep the pitch is, whether the curb is rotted, and how accessible the unit is. A flat-roof CWS unit on a 1960s Fort Lauderdale ranch is a lot easier to work on than a tile roof two stories up in Colee Hammock. Call (904) 913-5886 for an exact quote. Estimates are free, and you’ll get a $40 credit on any repair over $200.
Why Fort Lauderdale Homeowners Call Winslow Windows & Doors for CWS Work
We’re not a CWS dealer, and we won’t pretend to be. What we are is a local, owner-operated company that’s been out here since 2011, with a published address, a license number you can look up, and a live person answering the phone around the clock. Ed Winslow’s name is on the door and on every job we do. If a repair isn’t right, the 36500-Day Done Right Promise means we come back and make it right. No ticket numbers, no call centers, no warranty that evaporates when the check clears.
Because we service the full building envelope, we understand how a CWS skylight interacts with the roof around it in ways a glass-only shop might miss. And if your CWS unit is beyond saving, we don’t leave you hanging. We also work with PGT, CGI, ES Windows, and ECO Window Systems, so if a replacement makes more sense than another patch job, we can show you what a properly installed unit looks like.
FAQs
No, we’re an independent CWS service provider. That means we’re not bound by CWS dealer quotas or a manufacturer’s preferred parts list. We tell you when OEM parts are the right call and when a quality aftermarket part will outlast the original.
If your CWS unit is still under manufacturer warranty, we’ll review what’s covered before starting work. On older units where the warranty has lapsed, there’s nothing to void. Whenever CWS OEM parts are available in a reasonable timeframe and the math works in your favor, we recommend them. Call (904) 913-5886 and we’ll walk you through it.
Most CWS roof repairs are completed in a single visit. Severe rot rebuilds may take a second trip because the lumber needs to dry after cutting. We’ll tell you during the estimate exactly how long your repair will take, and we don’t leave you waiting weeks for parts unless you’ve chosen to wait on an OEM order.
Repair makes sense when the frame is solid, the curb is healthy, and the failure is a gasket, seal, operator, or glazing unit. If the frame is corroded, the curb is rotted through, or the unit is fighting Fort Lauderdale’s salt air and losing, replacement often costs less over five years than repeated repairs. We’ll give you both numbers and let you decide, no pressure.
The price we quote is the price you pay. If we open up a curb and find rot we couldn’t see from outside, we’ll show you, explain the added scope, and get your approval before doing anything else. No change orders appear on the invoice without your sign-off.
If your CWS unit is leaking, fogging, or cranking like it’s done, call (904) 913-5886 and talk to us. We’ll schedule a free estimate, quote you a fixed number, and if the repair is over $200, you’ll get $40 off. The one down the road.
Written by Ed Winslow, Owner, Winslow Windows & Doors at Winslow Windows & Doors, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.
Six Reasons Homeowners Choose Winslow Windows & Doors
Impact systems engineered to design pressures up to +/-100, matched to your wind zone - your openings hold when the storm arrives.
Low-E insulated impact glass from our manufacturer lines commonly cuts monthly cooling bills 20-30%.
Laminated impact glass shuts out up to 40% of outside noise - traffic, neighbors, weather.
Monitoring services run $30-90 a month. Laminated impact glass resists forced entry around the clock, with no subscription.
Florida homeowners average around 25% savings on the windstorm portion of their policy after protecting every opening - some homes qualify for more.
A full impact package upgrades curb appeal, buyer confidence and appraised value in one project.